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Current Status of White‐Nose Syndrome and Bat Monitoring Efforts in Montana
No full textWhite‐nose syndrome (WNS), the disease caused by the cold‐adapted fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), has killed millions of North American bats since its detection in New York in 2006. National surveillance efforts have tracked the spread of Pd and WNS westward across North America, and in 2019, partners in Montana began collaborating on a project to assess spread and impact on Montana’s bats. This effort includes annual statewide monitoring to estimate the distribution of the fungus and disease. We conducted hibernacula surveys, live animal trapping, and pooled guano and environmental sampling in the winter and spring at hibernacula, emergence sites, and maternity roosts. We first detected Pd in eastern Montana in 2020, followed by the disease, WNS, in 2021. In 2023, we surveyed 31 sites; nine sites were Pd‐positive and four were confirmed/suspected positive for WNS, including two of the state’s largest known hibernacula for Myotis species. To date, Pd has been detected in four species across 16 counties within Montana. WNS has been documented in three species within six of those counties. While we documented the continued spread of Pd and WNS, we have yet to detect either in the western‐most portion of the state, including west of the Continental Divide. This effort, coupled with annual acoustic monitoring, as part of the North American Bat Monitoring Program to assess bat occupancy and activity, will inform decisions related to management and conservation strategies, including potential use of treatments specific to WNS or ecological approaches toward offsetting the costs of disease.
Montana Bumble Bee Atlas Project ‐ Engaging Community Scientists to Fill Distribution Gaps for Declining Bumble Bees in Montana (Poster)
No full textBumble bees provide vital pollination services to native ecosystems and agricultural production, yet these important pollinators face an uncertain future. Nearly one‐quarter of North American bumblebee species face some degree of extinction risk. In the U.S., two species have been added to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and several have been petitioned for listing, with positive 90‐day findings and pending Special Status Assessments (SSA). Montana is home to 4 species with pending SSAs, but existing data limit our ability to accurately assess populations or effectively manage landscapes with evidence‐based conservation measures. To address this shortfall, we will be implementing a Montana Bumble Bee Atlas in 2024. This comprehensive monitoring program will provide a baseline understanding of bumble bee populations and fill knowledge gaps in their currentdistribution, site occupancy, and habitatassociations. The project will mirror the successful bumble bee atlas projects ongoing in 15 U.S. states, which have engaged thousands of volunteer community scientists who have conduct standardized inventories over broad geographic areas and generated over 50,000 bumble bee observations since 2018. The robust dataset created from this project can inform pending SSAs and ESA decisions, be used to develop regional and state bumble bee conservation plans, and provide information for land management agencies in creating evidence‐based habitat management and restoration strategies to improve the survival and recovery of at‐risk bumble bees
Rest‐Rotation Grazing and Streambank Restoration after Two Growing Seasons of Rest
No full textIn the fall of 2020, the French Creek Streambank Restoration Project was completed on the Mount Haggin Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The purpose of this project was to enhance aquatic and wildlife habitat through soft bank restoration techniques and reactivating floodplain connection. The project restored 2,350’ of streambank with excessive lateral streambank erosion and poor riparian vegetation establishment. Baseline vegetation conditions were measured in early summer of 2020 to track vegetation response across all streambanks post restoration. Following two growing seasons of complete rest, grazing occurred in the project area during the early summer (light stocking rate; 0.09AUM/hectare). Vegetation conditions along streambanks remained in excellent stable condition following the summer grazing (stability index = 9.1/10). The three‐year post‐monitoring highlights successful native, riparian vegetation establishment for willows and herbaceous understory following this grazing event. In addition, introduced graminoid establishment along the streambanks remains at significantly lowerdensities in 2023 than pre‐restoration conditions. Continued monitoring will track the effectiveness of softbank restoration techniques developed for the French Creek streambank project to increase riparian vegetation expansion and connectivity over the next two years in tandem with a rest‐rotation grazing system. Overall, rest‐rotation grazing appears suitable following a minimum of two growing seasons for this riparian setting
A Portable Structure for Identifying Individual Wolverines and Lynx Using Integrated Cameras and Hair Snags (Oral and Poster Presentation)
No full textWe tested and modified the system design of camera and hair snag (C&H) monitoring stations developed by Audrey Magoun to identify individual wolverines (Magoun et al. 2011). Our methods were applied to focal species wolverine (Gulo gulo) and Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) individuals in western Montana. Our objectives were to (1) test and adapt the Magoun methodology to fit our study area and research goals and enhance overall data capture, (2) evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of the method while targeting the maximum number of recovered individual genotypes of focal species and limiting the number of analyzed genetic samples by integrating photographic analysis with the selection of the set of genetic samples for analysis, (3) experiment with the Magoun methodology as it could apply to Canada lynx, and (4) demonstrate the use of efficient individual identification (ID) to monitor health, behavior, and reproduction of focal species. We deployed 16 C&H stations across a 325 mi2 study area over 4 consecutive years and successfully identified 10 wolverine individuals (8 M, 2 F) and 4 Canada lynx individuals (3 M, 1 F). Our use of photographic analysis for individual identification and sex determination of the 14 focal species individuals was 100% consistent with genetic analysis of linked hair samples. C&H stations provide a cost‐effective and less invasive technique for detecting and monitoring individual rare meso‐carnivores in remote mountainous habitats
Improving Black‐Billed Cuckoo Monitoring in Montana
No full textUnderstanding species distribution and ecology are critical first steps towards biodiversity conservation. While monitoring common, conspicuous species can be relatively straight forward, collecting sufficient data for rare and cryptic species presents unique challenges. Black‐billed cuckoos (Coccyzus erythropthalamus) are an example of a regionally rare, cryptic, and data deficient species in Montana. Due to their infrequent vocalizations, preference for dense vegetation, and cryptic plumage, this species is difficult to detect using the conventional method of in‐person playback surveys. Especially when applied in Montana, these surveys are resource and time intensive. In this study, we compare the conventional method with non‐invasive passive acoustic monitoring paired with machine learning classification. From 2021‐2023, we conducted playback surveys and deployed autonomous recording units at sites with historic cuckoo records. In 2023, we created an improved machine learning model to detect multiple call types from acoustic data. We present preliminary results of the effectiveness of each method based on cost, survey effort, and detections. This research tests an application of non‐invasive monitoring methods for rare species of local conservation concern. Additionally, results will improve the efficiency of monitoring as practitioners in Montana create a long‐term species monitoring and conservation plan
Montanans’ Changing Attitudes Toward Wolves (2012 ‐ 2023)
No full textMany of the fundamental objectives guiding wolf management in Montana relate to the human dimensions, including maintaining positive working relationships, increasing public acceptance of harvest, and open and effective communication to inform decisions. To measure progress on these and other objectives, FWP and UM have partnered to conduct three large surveys of Montana residents overthe past 10 years to measure people’s attitudes toward wolves, theirtolerance of the species, satisfaction with wolf management and many other social variables.Here, we report results from the 2023 survey iteration (n=3,401; margin of error=+3.7%), including longitudinal data on how Montanans’ perspectives have shifted over time andcomparisons between general residents and some distinct groups including deer/elk hunters,wolf license holders, and large landowners. Results show that tolerance of wolves on the MT landscape has increased markedly for general residents, deer/elk hunters, and landowners while remaining stable for wolf hunters. In 2023, 74% of general residents were tolerant or very tolerant of wolves, up from 41% in 2012. Tolerance of wolf hunting has remained high for most groups, but dipped slightly for general residents (71% in 2012 to 58% in 2023). Wolf trapping receives less social support with only 36% of general residents finding it tolerant or very tolerant. The presentation will review these and other descriptive statistics, along with the methods used to collect, weight, and analyze these survey data, and a discussion of how social theory may explain why we’re seeing these changes and what we might expect in the future
Assessing the Accuracy of Temperature Measurements from Reconyx Cameras
No full textTimothy Link, Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID Remote cameras provide important insight into wildlife demography, ecological processes, and behavior. Cameras often have built‐in temperature sensors that output a temperature reading with every image. Which could provide valuable fine‐scale temperature data. However, no camera manufacturers report on the accuracy of temperature measurements made by their cameras, making the quality of these data unknown. We sought to 1) assess the accuracy of temperature readings made by Reconyx® cameras, and 2) determine the time constant of Reconyx cameras, i.e., the amount of time a camera takes to equilibrate with air temperature. We paired two Reconyx cameras with a weather station which collected corrected air temperature measurements in order to assess error in the field for 3 weeks. In general, camera temperatures agreed well with temperatures from the weather station, with the correlation being 0.72. Mean bias error of uncorrected temperatures was ‐0.41°C, so cameras tended to underestimate temperatures. However, the maximum daily temperature could be overestimated by as much as 20°C by cameras. Next, we performed a time constant experiment with a single camera in a still‐air environment with no shortwave radiation. In the lab setting, the camera took between 3 and 4 hours to fully equilibrate with air temperature. Given the widespread use of cameras for natural resources applications and particularly for wildlife studies, these findings suggest that temperatures can be reliable but may become less reliable when radiation loading is high or when temperatures change rapidly in a short time
Golden Eagle Migration Pathways Along the Continental Divide in Alberta and Montana (Poster)
No full textThe number of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) counted annually at fall migration sites in western North America has been declining in recent years. This decline in migration count numbers could be attributed to factors such as lead poisoning, habitat loss, declines in prey species, and climate change. Given widespread population declines, efforts to continue monitoring population trends are needed. Prior to 1987, Golden Eagle migration corridors through Glacier National Park (GNP) were unknown. In response, researchers conducted three years of fall and spring migration counts, averaging 1973 Golden Eagles in the fall. As a result, GNP established the Mount Brown raptor migration site to monitor the long‐term migration trends of Golden Eagles and other migratory raptor species. The Mount Brown hawk watch site was officially established in 2018 and is situated between two other fall hawk watch sites along the Continental Divide with long term datasets: Mount Lorette and the Bridger Mountains. All three migration sites are along the primary flyway for migrating Golden Eagles; however, count numbers can vary widely among sites on similar dates. In this poster, we analyzed Golden Eagle count data among three migration sites and inferred potential eagle flyways along the Continental Divide from Alberta to Montana. We used count data during peak fall migration at each site from 2020 through 2023 to synthesize and visualize potential Golden Eagles flight paths across the flyway, examine the similarities and differences of the results, and propose further research questions
Long‐Term Moose Population Trends and Consequences for Willow Condition in the Southern Absaroka‐Beartooth Wilderness
No full textIn the 1980s, agency managers were concerned about the status of willow in the southern Absaroka‐Beartooth Wilderness (ABW). Stands appeared suppressed by ungulate browsing. In response, a 36‐year effort to monitor the resident moose population and willow status was conducted. Our research summarizes these data on moose population trends and willow browsing rates and height. Our objectives are: 1) characterize moose population trends from 1985‐2021, and 2) assess whether moose population fluctuations influenced willow height. We used several indices to monitor moose relative abundance from 1985‐2021, including observations on a 177km trail transect each fall, and an 89km road transect multiple times monthly. We also assessed height and browsing rates on 179 marked willow plants each spring from 1988‐2021 and analyzed data from a willow exclosure that was read every decade since 1961. To address the influence of abiotic variables on willow growth, we included snow telemetry (SNOTEL) data as predictors of willow height in our analysis. We found that moose relative abundance exponentially declined since 1988 (‐18% annually), supporting findings from Tyers (2003) who documented a significant decrease in moose winter habitat in the ABW following the 1988 Yellowstone fires. This population decline was also correlated with reduced willow browsing. After accounting for annual precipitation, we found that willow height increased with reduced moose browsing. Our research demonstrates that the moose population decline following habitat loss in 1988 was a major contributor to willow recovery in the southern ABW, reinforcing the significance of herbivory suppression on willow.
Montana Elk Winter Habitat Distribution as a Function of Winter Severity
No full textUnderstanding the quality and distribution of winter habitat is an essential component of delineating the most important wildlife habitat requirements throughout the year for large ungulates. Severe winters can be an important cause of winter mortality in elk (Cervus canadensis), especially in populations that are less able to access seasonal resources without large migrations. Therefore, it is critical to study how elk respond to severe winter weather and how that response impacts the distribution of suitable habitat. In order to derive a more mechanistic understanding of elk winter habitat in Montana, we used more than 36,000 elk location points from winter aerial surveys from 2010‐2022 to build regional random forest models optimized for studying wildlife‐habitat relationships and explicitly evaluated the effects of minimum temperatures and snow cover on elk distributions and how those elements of weather influenced their selection for land cover and terrain features. These models performed very well in predicting out‐of‐sample data and we used them to create new maps of elk winter habitat in Montana. We found that minimum temperature was among the most important variables driving elk distribution in each region and that both minimum temperature and snow water equivalent interacted with shrub cover density, tree cover density, and topographic heterogeneity to determine where elk were most likely to be found. We also found that in each region, the distribution of predicted habitat varied depending on the severity of recent winter weather. In combination with explicitly mapped model prediction uncertainty, the maps our models produced provide actionable information for biologists and habitat managers across the state, and could inform future habitat management actions at landscape scales. Further, our methods may be a template for researchers and managers in other states interested in developing models of ungulate winter habitat that explicitly vary with recent weather severity